For the last 50 years, Honda’s CB500 has proved to be a stellar midweight offering for riders and customizers to cut their teeth on. The classic CB500, introduced in the early 1970s, was a smaller sibling to Honda’s legendary CB750. It featured a 498 cc air-cooled, inline-four engine, offering smooth performance and a user-friendly riding experience. With its stylish design and approachable power, the classic CB500 became a favorite among riders looking for a blend of performance and practicality in the emerging ‘universal Japanese motorcycle’ segment.
The modern CB500 series was introduced in 2013, and includes models like the CB500F (naked), CB500X (adventure), and CBR500R (sport) A stone-reliable 471 cc parallel-twin engine offerings strong low- to mid-range torque and exceptional fuel efficiency. These bikes are lightweight, easy to handle, and equipped with modern features like ABS and LED lighting, making them ideal for new riders and commuters.
The CB500’s evolution showcases Honda’s ability to adapt to changing rider demands, solidifying its place as a reliable, accessible, and enduring part of motorcycling history.
Based in Caxias do Sul, a town in Brazil’s hilly Serra Gaúcha region, Caffeine Custom is fast becoming a regular on these pages. They celebrated their tenth anniversary last year, and wanted to celebrate in style with a special custom build. The stars aligned when a customer approached them to create a slick Honda CB500F…
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Most custom projects are completed in a matter of months, or even weeks. But sometimes the story of a bike can stretch out to years or decades. That’s the case with this delightful Honda CB500, which has spent the last 13 of its 46 years in the care of Italian enthusiast Pierluigi Intini, who lives…
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With clean lines and timeless styling, the Honda CB500 Four is one of the most fetching machines the Japanese marque has ever produced. If you had one on the bench, you might be tempted to restore rather than modify it. Unless it’s already been converted into a hideous chopper—in which case, all bets are off…
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Building custom motorcycles can be a tough game. And the Swedish builder Fredrik Pål Persson was ready to throw in the towel, just before the commission came in for this rather chic Honda café racer. His shop, Malmö-based PAAL Motorcycles, has been operating for five years now. But last year, the business almost closed down.…
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Thanks to the interwebs, the custom moto scene is a global village. I’ve never been to Třebíč in the Czech Republic—and I…
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Honda CB Fours have become so popular in the modern custom scene, we’ve almost forgotten what a big deal they were back…
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The ultimate show for petrolheads in the USA is SEMA. Held every year in the neon wonderland of Las Vegas, it draws…
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The Japanese custom scene is known for playing by its own rules. Builds from the land of the rising sun have an…
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Anvil Motociclette is the kind of shop that is catching the attention of younger riders in mainland Europe. Their designs are raw…
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This beautifully finished CB500 with a fifties vibe is owned by Mike McFadden of Kentucky, and he’s just finished building it himself…
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Honda’s CB series is the quintessential cafe racer platform, with the CB750 attracting the most attention. The CB500 Four was a lighter,…
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